Characterization of dried orange waste as a valuable ingridient in broiler chicken diets

Abstract

Several valorization strategies have been explored as alternatives to mitigate the disposal of orange waste in landfills. In the orange juice industry, over 50% of the raw material is converted into by-products that are rich in bioactive compounds and possess high nutritional value. Enhancing the utilization of these by-products could serve as a crucial strategy for advancing a circular economy. Orange waste represents a potential source of revenue or cost savings for juice production facilities, given its potential as a source of value-added products and energy vectors. To produce a flour from orange juice by-product and characterize it, in order to incorporate it in broiler chicken feed. The sun-dried and grounded (particle size < 1mm) orange by-products were characterized in terms of its chemical composition, dietary cellulose, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant potential. Dried orange pulp presented a moderate high content of dietary cellulose (89.19% dry matter (DM)), minerals (ash = 3.81% DM), and total phenolic compounds (202.59 ± 15.93 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g of DM). In general, orange by-products showed total cellulose content, flavonoids content, and antioxidant activity with the following values, 22.03 ± 1.89 %, 430.70 ± 2.78 mg QE/100g, and 1158.8 ± 19.22 FRAP mg/g FRAP mg/g, respectively. The qualification of phenolics compounds in dried orange pulp demonstrated that flavonones were the most presents with a high content of hesperidin 61.29 mg/g of orange juice powder by-product. Furthermore, the most elevated concentration in hydro cinnamic acids content was the ferulic acid with (27.1 mg/g). These findings make dried orange pulp a valuable product for broiler chicken, contributing not only to animal welfare but also to more cost-effective and eco-friendly poultry production practices.